The present document covers the studies over Structural Health Monitoring systems via vibration based methods. The topic is organized in two parallel studies. The first one analyzes the integrity of metal-composite single lap bonded joints. The second one approaches similar analyses for sandwich structures. The monitoring was made by investigating the dynamic response both computationally and experimentally to verify the reliability of applying vibration based SHM procedures, specifically with the objective of identifying the presence of debonding damage. The dynamic responses were obtained via accelerometers and piezoelectric sensors placed on top of the investigated structures (on the outward surface). The purpose for the accelerometers is to provide reference data for the analyses involving the piezoelectric sensors. Different metrics of damage identification were investigated, all working over a determined frequency range. They quantify the damage by analyzing either the magnitudes or phase angles of the dynamic responses among the undamaged and damage structures. This present work proposed modifications to some methodologies of damage quantification found in the literature and compared the results. The new metrics offered more reliable values for the damage quantification on several of the analyses. It was verified that the metrics are valid for the scenarios observed in the present study. The experimental analyses showed also the influence on the dynamic response due to the position of small elastomeric elements. In regards to the finite element analyses, the computational models showed similar results to the experimental data, the more accurate ones being the models for the bonded joints. For the computational models, improvements can be applied into the piezoelectric sensor (e.g. by using new finite element formulations), as well as the region of debonding (e.g. by using contact algorithms). It is important to highlight that the elastic properties of the skins for the sandwich structure were obtained by the literature, so the model can be improved in the future by applying properties obtained experimentally. / Esta dissertação aborda os estudos realizados no campo de Sistemas de Monitoramento da Integridade Estrutural por meio de métodos baseados em vibrações. O tópico abordado é organizado em dois estudos paralelos. O primeiro é relativo ao monitoramento da integridade de juntas coladas metal-compósito. O segundo versa sobre análises semelhantes em estruturas sanduíche. O monitoramento foi executado através das análises das assinaturas dinâmicas das estruturas, tanto computacionalmente quanto experimentalmente, visando avaliar a capacidade de metodologias vibracionais de SHM em detectar dano de descolamento. As respostas dinâmicas foram obtidas por meio de acelerômetros e sensores piezelétricos dispostos sobre a superfície das estruturas avaliadas. Os acelerômetros fornecem dados de referência para as análises realizadas com base nas respostas do sensor piezelétrico. Diferentes métricas de identificação de dano são abordadas, sendo que todas estão baseadas em análise no domínio da frequência, utilizando parâmetros de magnitude ou ângulo de fase das estruturas danificadas e intactas. O presente trabalho propôs alterações em algumas das metodologias encontradas na literatura e comparou os resultados das métricas originais com as modificadas. As métricas modificadas apresentaram resultados mais consistentes em vários cenários de análise. Constatou-se também que as métricas abordadas mostram-se válidas para os casos observados no presente estudo. As análises experimentais também evidenciaram a influência na assinatura dinâmica da estrutura sanduíche causada pelo posicionamento de pequenos elementos elastoméricos. Com relação às análises via elementos finitos, os modelos computacionais apresentaram resultados similares aos obtidos experimentalmente, sendo os da junta colada os mais precisos. Tais modelos computacionais podem ser melhorados no futuro por meio de uma modelagem mais detalhada dos elementos piezelétricos (por exemplo: por meio de novas formulações), como também da região de descolamento (por exemplo: por meio da implementação de algoritmos de contato). Deve-se ressaltar também que as propriedades elásticas das lâminas externas da estrutura sanduíche foram obtidas da literatura, assim sendo, o modelo poderá ser melhorado em estudos futuros por meio do emprego de propriedades obtidas experimentalmente.

Fiber-reinforced composites comprise an important class of lightweight materials which are finding increasing applications in engineering structures including body components of automobiles and aircraft. Traditionally, synthetic fibers made of glass, carbon, etc. along with a polymeric resin have constituted the most common composites. However, due to environmental concern, occupational health safety considerations, higher cost, etc., research has been focused on substituting synthetic fibers, especially glass fibers with safer, economic and biodegradable natural fibers. Due to the ease of availability and affordability in terms of cost, woven jute mats, among a wide variety of natural fiber-based reinforcements, offer a good choice in combination with a suitable resin such as polyester or epoxy for fabrication of composite laminates. In structural applications, joining of parts made of jute fiber-reinforced composites (JFRCs) would be a natural requirement. Alternatives to joining processes for metals such as welding, riveting, etc. are required for composites. A joining process of high potential is adhesive bonding which has the advantages of reducing stress concentration, permitting fastening of dissimilar materials, etc. In the present study, adhesively bonded joints of JFRCs and their mechanical behavior are investigated under quasi-static and cyclic loading conditions. Initially, characterization of substrates is carried out under monotonic loading. This is followed by determination of stress- Strain curves, failure load and mean shear strength of bonded joints as functions of joint curing temperature and overlap length using a two-part structural epoxy adhesive. All tests are carried out according to relevant ASTM standards. It has been observed that higher curing temperatures give rise to only marginally high failure load and mean shear stress at failure compared to curing at room temperature. For a given curing temperature, failure load increases while mean shear strength decreases with respect to overlap length in both types of joints. As fatigue failure is a crucial consideration in design, the behavior of adhesively bonded JFRC joints is studied for the first time under cyclic loading conditions leading to the commonly-used S-N curve for characterization of failure of materials at different loading-unloading cycles. Interestingly, the fatigue strength for infinite life of adhesively bonded JFRC joints turns out to be approximately 30% of the quasi-static strength, a correlation which usually applies to materials in general. The effect of joint overlap length on fatigue life is studied and it is observed that the above relation between fatigue and quasi static strength is retained for different overlap lengths. Additionally, insights are provided into failure modes of joints under different loading conditions and for varying overlap lengths. Various empirical predictors such as exponent, power and hybrid models fitting the S-N curve are obtained and their relative efficacy (in terms of Coefficient of Determination R2, Adjusted-R2, Akaike’s Information Criterion and Residual Sum of Squares) enumerated in prediction of failure load including quasi-static failure load. As numerical simulation is an indispensable tool in designing geometrically complex structures under nonlinear conditions including failure and contact, finite element modeling of JFRC substrates, bulk adhesive and adhesively bonded joints has been investigated using implicit and explicit LS-DYNA solvers. In this context, the effects of various modeling parameters (mesh size and loading rate) and details of constitutive models capable of capturing plasticity and failure in an orthotropic composite and isotropic adhesive are discussed. Mesh size has been found to be an important parameter affecting computed results. Finally, a good correlation within ~(4% - 7%) was found between the predicted and experimental results for JFRC substrates, bulk adhesive and adhesively bonded single lap joints.